A kinaesthetic approach to analyzing early recordings

Abstract This paper proposes a kinaesthetic methodology for the analysis of early recordings, focusing on the bodily engagement of performers as a means of bridging the experiential gap between contemporary analysts and historical performers. Traditional approaches to early recording analysis often rely on either empirical analysis or comparative analysis with historical texts, leaving a disconnect between the analyst and the embodied act of performance. Through a four-stage process—emulation, articulation of embodiment, metaphor construction, and performer-informed interpretation—this study demonstrates how a bodily-informed, phenomenological approach can yield deeper insights into historical performance practice. Using the 1905 recording of pianist Yolanda Mero and a 1904 recording of Alessandro Moreschi as two case studies, the proposed method facilitates an affective and embodied engagement with historical recordings.